Chapter 2: [2] Knight in shinning armor
"Get the fk away from me!" I shouted, panic surging through my veins as the five Beastkin women loomed over me, their laughter sharp and mocking.
"Aw, poor little guy's all scared," the rabbit girl teased, crouching closer, her green eyes glittering with amusement. "Don't worry, we'll play nice...for now."
The fox Beastkin cracked her knuckles, her tail flicking behind her as she stepped closer. "You're cute when you beg. Makes me wanna—"
CLANG!
The sound of metal colliding with stone cut her off mid-sentence. Everyone froze, heads snapping toward the crater's edge. A figure stood silhouetted against the sun, their full plate armor gleaming like it had been polished just for this moment. A sword longer than my arm rested on their shoulder, its edge catching the light ominously.
"The fk is this?" growled the wolf Beastkin, her eyes narrowing.
The knight didn't speak. They simply stepped forward, the ground crunching beneath their armored boots. Each movement was deliberate, exuding a kind of quiet menace that sent a shiver down my spine. For the first time, the bandits looked...unsure.
"Whoever the fuck you are, walk away," the fox snapped, her cocky smirk faltering. "This doesn't concern you."
The knight still said nothing. Instead, they reached for their sword with both hands, the sound of steel sliding against steel ringing out as they lowered it into a ready stance.
"Oh, you're one of those types," the cat Beastkin sneered, unsheathing a pair of daggers from her belt. "Fine. Let's see what you've got."
The knight moved faster than I thought was humanly possible. One second, they were standing still; the next, they were a blur of silver and gold, their sword arcing through the air. The cat barely managed to block with her daggers, the impact sending her skidding back with a curse.
"Fuck! She's strong!" the rabbit yelled, her playful tone replaced with panic.
The wolf snarled, charging forward with a massive axe raised high. She brought it down with a thunderous roar, aiming to cleave the knight in two. The knight sidestepped effortlessly, their armor barely making a sound as they spun and drove the pommel of their sword into the wolf's gut. The Beastkin doubled over, gasping for air.
"Shit! Don't just stand there—help her!" the bear shouted, her massive frame barreling toward the knight like a freight train.
The knight didn't flinch. As the bear closed the distance, they raised their shield and met her charge head-on. The impact echoed like a cannon blast, but the knight didn't budge. Instead, they shoved the bear back with a brutal push, their sword flashing out to slice a shallow cut across her arm.
"Goddammit! She's toying with us!" the fox spat, her fiery hair whipping around as she lunged forward, claws extended. Her speed was impressive, but the knight was faster. Their blade caught the fox mid-dash, forcing her to leap back with a snarl.
The fight was chaos. Steel clashed against steel, claws scraped against armor, and the air was thick with curses and growls. The knight moved with precision, every swing of their sword calculated and efficient. The bandits, for all their ferocity, were clearly outmatched.
"Fk this! She's not worth it!" the rabbit screamed, darting toward the crater's edge.
The others hesitated, but it didn't take long for self-preservation to kick in. One by one, they broke off and ran, disappearing into the forest beyond the crater. The fox was the last to leave, her golden eyes narrowing as she spat on the ground.
"This isn't over," she hissed before vanishing into the shadows.
Silence fell over the crater, save for the sound of my ragged breathing. The knight stood still for a moment, their sword lowered but ready. When it was clear the bandits weren't coming back, they sheathed their blade with a metallic snikt and turned to face me.
I stared up at them, still clutching myself like my life depended on it. My heart was pounding, and my skin was slick with sweat and dirt. "Who the fk...?" I croaked, my voice barely above a whisper.
The knight stepped closer, the sun glinting off their polished armor. Slowly, they reached up and lifted their visor, revealing a face that, for a moment, didn't seem real. Golden hair spilled out, framing sharp, angular features and piercing blue eyes that seemed to see right through me. She was beautiful—intimidatingly so—and she didn't look amused.
"You're alive," she said bluntly, her voice low and steady. She extended a gauntleted hand toward me. "Get up."
I blinked, still trying to process everything. "You're...a girl?"
Her brow furrowed slightly, like my observation annoyed her. "Yes. Now get up."
"Right, uh, sorry." I hesitated before taking her hand, my face burning as I remembered my current state. "I, uh...don't have clothes."
"I noticed." She sighed, removing her red cape with a fluid motion and draping it over my shoulders. It was warm and smelled faintly of leather and steel. "Cover yourself."
"Thanks," I mumbled, pulling the cape tightly around me. It was long enough to hide most of my, uh, situation, which was a relief.
She studied me for a moment, her expression unreadable. "What's your name?"
"Alec," I said, swallowing hard. "Uh, what about you?"
"Eris," she replied curtly, turning her attention back to the edge of the crater. "What were you doing here?"
"Uh...I honestly don't know," I admitted, scratching the back of my head. "One minute I was walking home, and the next, a goddamn meteor hit me."
Her gaze snapped back to me, sharp and scrutinizing. "A meteor?"
"Yeah. Big, fiery, definitely fucking lethal. But I guess it wasn't, because now I'm...here." I gestured vaguely to the crater around us.
Eris didn't respond immediately. Instead, she scanned the area, her hand resting on the hilt of her sword. "You shouldn't stay here. It's dangerous."
"No shit," I muttered, shivering despite the heat. "Those girls were about to—"
"They won't be back," she interrupted, her tone firm. "But there are worse things out here."
"Worse?" My stomach twisted at the thought. "Like what?"
She didn't answer. Instead, she motioned for me to follow her. "Come. There's a village nearby. You'll be safe there."
I hesitated, glancing back at the scorched ground and the distant treeline where the bandits had fled. Staying here alone wasn't an option, and Eris—stern and terrifying as she was—seemed like my best chance of surviving.
"Alright," I said, adjusting the cape around my shoulders. "Lead the way, knight in shining armor."
She didn't laugh or smile at the comment. Instead, she turned and started walking, her armor clinking softly with each step.
And just like that, my strange, terrifying journey began.
Q: Do you like kuudere type girls?